Much of Bexar County is experiencing Extreme Drought as the holiday season arrives. How will La Niña impact those conditions?
SAN ANTONIO — La Niña conditions are officially present for this holiday season, climatologists say, as stronger-than-usual winds push warm Pacific Ocean water along the equator westward.
What does that mean for Texas this holiday season? Well, in keeping with what we’ve experienced so far this October, it means drier and warmer conditions than usual through early 2026. Given that the region’s severe drought has expanded into more South-Central Texas counties in the last month, that isn’t a good sign.
The drier, warmer conditions aren’t just impacting Texas this holiday season, but much of the country’s southernmost regions and states, including Southern California, New Mexico, Louisiana and Georgia. Meanwhile, states like Oregon, Indiana, Missouri, Ohio, Kentucky and Pennsylvania will see a wetter-than-usual close to 2025. The Dakotas, Minnesota and Montana will see the mercury dip a little lower than usual.
In the last La Niña winter, from the end of 2022 into the start of 2023, San Antonio saw just 2.33 inches of rainfall compared to its average of 5.70 inches during the winter months. And in December 2022, San Antonio experienced an average high temperature of 65.3 degrees, a big warmer than the historical average of 64.7.